Former Idaho teacher tells Senate committee classroom conditions are driving colleagues out of the profession

Courtney Linker, a former Idaho classroom teacher, told the Idaho Senate Education Committee in Boise that widespread stress, student behavioral problems and rising nonteaching duties are driving teachers out of classrooms.

Linker told the committee she interviewed 73 teachers in 16 districts and 35 schools to test whether her experience was widespread. "Last year's experience as a classroom teacher broke me," she said, describing a combination of physical and mental strain that led her to take an extended leave.

Linker said her interviews found high levels of anxiety and workload among teachers: 60 percent of those she interviewed said they feel stressed or anxious at work, 55 percent said they feel overwhelmed, and 47 percent said their work has a negative impact on their personal lives. She told senators that only 27 percent of respondents said they believe they will make it to retirement as teachers without changing conditions.

The research…